Techish

Techish Word of the Week: “Gleefreshing”

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Do you have a brighter outlook opening social media for the first (or 27th) time today, compared to a week ago? You aren't the only one, and it's inspired a whole new word. Welcome to gleefreshing. It's the opposite — and much happier sibling of — doomscrolling. Whether you use that word or not, you've likely been doomscrolling for weeks. It's opening up Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or endless news pages with a sense of dread — but doing it anyway. You might be scrolling for minutes on end, only finding negative posts, friends arguing, or another depressing update from news sources. But you just. can't. stop. That's doomscrolling. Gleefreshing, on the other hand, is the act of ... Read more

HOW TO: Spot fake election news

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I’ve had a ton of conversations on my personal Facebook feed recently where people are genuinely confused about which news outlet to trust. I — and many of my colleagues — have offered several fact-checking and news bias-rating sites, including the Associated Press AP Fact Check, FactCheck.org, Politifact, and AdFontesMedia. USA Today even has its own fact-checking pages and election fact-checking site. Other great go-to’s here include the U.S. Cybersecurity Agency’s rumor control site, web browser plug-in NewsGuard —  which rates more than 4,000 news websites based on their records of publishing accurate information, and Ground News, which shows you how many top outlets have covered a ... Read more

HOW TO: use tele therapy and other online tools to handle #Election2020

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Experts recommend talking with a professional, which is easier than ever these days thanks to “teletherapy.” Online therapy sites such as BetterHealth, Doctor on Demand, Wellnite, Larkr, Real, ReGain, AbleTo and MDLive are affordable, often take insurance, and easy to schedule appointments on. Apps HearMe, Wisdom, and Lyf (iOS and Android) hook you up with a person, or group of people, ready to lend a sympathetic ear and help you talk things through without waiting for an appointment. HearMe lets you chat via anonymous text with a stranger within a minute or two of logging in. Lyf is similar but lets you connect with — and follow — hundreds of other people using the app. Wisdo hooks you up ... Read more

HOW TO: Save money on your cell phone service

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By Christina X Wood Apple is pelting us right now with a marketing assault designed to create an irresistible urge to buy a new iPhone. Samsung, too, has just released some wildly tempting new phones and a marketing frenzy designed to whip Android fans into a buying impulse. And it’s working. Even though this is happening at a time when most of us are eyeing at our monthly budget for places to cut, one in three people in a recent survey planned to buy a new iPhone anyway. Sure, I get it. Your cell phone is your lifeline. That rectangle is always in your hand or within reach. It’s your most valuable possession. You don’t want an underpowered one. Most of us think it’s worth going into ... Read more

HOW TO: Sanitize your germ-riddled Smartphone

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Every time I walk in the house, I set my phone down and wash my hands for two minutes. Then I pick my phone up, pocket it, or respond to a text and go about my life at home. Sound familiar? Now think like an epidemiologist. Where’s the flaw in that system? Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of disease, according to the CDC. But that phone has become like a third hand. It goes everywhere with me. I probably touched it a thousand times while I was out. So, failing to wash my phone is an enormous flaw in an otherwise solid infection-prevention scheme. It’s so big a flaw, in fact, that it might be undermining much of my effort. But how do you wash a phone? You can’t ... Read more

HOW TO: Get help fast if you can’t pay your bills

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*Note: this story originally ran in USA Today* Like so many people in America right now, 26-year old San Francisco resident, Shawna McCune doesn't know how she’s going to pay her bills come May 1st. The single-mom of a five-year-old son was furloughed from her job as an afterschool kindergarten teacher the same day the city announced it’s extending shelter-in-place orders for another month. “I’m super anxious and very overwhelmed,” she told me over the phone. “I’m one of those people, I try to think positively, I try not to freak out, but I am definitely really, really worried and stressed.”  McCune’s biggest concern is paying rent. She shares a small two-bedroom apartment with ... Read more

The 10 Best ‘Thank You Videos for Coronavirus helpers everywhere!

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If you haven't done it yet, we challenge you to take time out from binge-watching Tiger King and searching for quarantini memes, to thank someone. Whether it's a healthcare worker, grocery store clerk, or your own family for not totally losing it, gratitude goes a long way during a pandemic. Expressing it goes even further, and now more than ever, it's important not to take all of these amazing humans for granted. Let these “Thank You Coronavirus Helpers” videos we pulled from YouTube provide some inspiration and serve as a sweet reminder to keep looking for someone who could use a little boost right about now. From songs to applause to celebrity tributes, these “Thank You” ... Read more

This handy tool will tell you exactly when to sell your smartphone

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Summer is winding down, and that means only one thing: It's time for all the shiny new flagship smartphones to hit shelves and drain our pockets. Now you have to sell your "old" phone, but when do you sell it to get the biggest return? We've got just the tool. As part of musicMagpie's Annual Phone Depreciation Report 2019, the site crunched the numbers on trade-in values and how they change over time, with clear peaks and valleys that show when phones tend to be the most valuable on the secondhand market. All you have to do is type in your phone's make and model — like "iPhone 8 Plus" — and check out the trends. Nobody can predict the future, but this might be the next best thing. ... Read more

The ‘90s called – this company might pay you $1,000 to use a flip phone for a week!

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In honor of the 30-year anniversary of the first ever flip phone (hey, Motorola), FrontierBundles.com is looking for one brave soul to use a flip phone for a week in exchange for $1,000. This could be a dream job for the '90s fanatic who wants to kick it all old-school like or even a fascinating social experiment for a curious tech junkie. Either way, we anticipate this will be quite the challenge given our reliance on smart technology. I mean, can you even imagine finding a new address without Google Maps?! You can find the application form and all other relevant information you need here: https://www.frontierbundles.com/blog/pay-1k-flip-phone-challenge Here’s a summary of the ... Read more

Can you go a year without your smartphone for $100,000?

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New year, no phone? Cutting down on screen time likely tops many New Year’s resolutions lists, but do you think you could go a full year without a smartphone? It's a massive challenge, but you might have a real reason to consider doing so.  How does $100,000 sound? Would that be enough incentive to stop the mindless scrolling? That's how much beverage brand Vitaminwater is offering one lucky Luddite to go completely smartphone-free in 2019. Obviously you'll need to meet some criteria first, which is why they're asking you to share why you'd be a good candidate for the challenge in a post on social media. You'll need to post your plea on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags ... Read more

Have an iPhone? Make sure you know this trick for finding apps, settings, EVERYTHING!

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There are so many little tips and tricks for fast use of the iPhone, many of us forget that not everyone knows them (ahem, I'm talking you husband of mine...). Here's a real gem called "Swipe to Search" Want to find an app, contact, old text, something in your settings, or really anything on your iPhone? Swipe down, and type whatever it is you're searching for in the Search bar. Here's how Apple tells (and shows) you how to it: (wait for it...) Trying to find a contact, email, or nearby restaurant? Quickly find what you’re looking for from the Home screen on your device. Swipe down from the middle of the Home screen. Tap the Search field, then enter what you're looking ... Read more

AS SEEN ON: Atlanta Tech Edge (NBC) In Case You Missed It (With Links To All Gadgets)

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In case you missed it, here's everything Jenn and Cara talked about on Atlanta Tech Edge: Top Tech-Life Hacks for Busy Families – Tested Save time, money, and sanity with some simple yet — genius — tips, tricks and quick-y hacks to solve all kinds of everyday issues around school, family, and even college concerns. Jennifer asked 1,000 parents for their best hacks to save money and reduce stress for throughout the school year. Here's what they said: #1. Slash costs of new gadgets: Don’t feel like you have to get the $1,000 gadget when $100 will do. Grab a great deal like this $124 8-inch Huawei MediaPad T3 tablet. What one mom said she liked about it  - aside from the price - ... Read more

Plugged-In Families: How to Create Healthier Tech Habits

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Today's kids are totally connected — to surfing, scrolling, snapping, gaming and ‘gramming. According to new Pew Reseach, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly.’  Stats like those give way to rising concern over the addictiveness of constantly checking for social media updates, watching videos and playing games. Some studies tie extended screen time to distraction in classrooms, symptoms of ADHA, sleep deprivation and depression. But what we’ve learned as digital parenting evolves is that the challenge is less about how much screen time our kids have and more about the quality of time they spend online. Research also shows that when you ... Read more

Going, Going, Gone? Can the Oculus Go VR Headset really hit a home run?

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No matter how excited I get with VR -- peering over the edge of a skyscraper, staring a T-Rex in the eye, or swimming with Blue whales -- the emerging tech still hasn't reached its stride. That might all change very soon with the arrival of the much-anticipated Oculus Go. This new headset, which went on sale Tuesday, strikes a serious sweet-spot. It costs just $200. It has no cables. It’s easy to use. It works for iPhone people and Android people, Mac people and PC people. It's like the Switzerland of new gadgets. And as other reviewers point out, it’s for more than just playing games. Call it Oculus and chill: The Go lets you curl up and watch TV virtually along with a faraway friend. ... Read more

JENN’S LIST: Best Gadgets of Spring 2018

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Spring has sprung, and now that the last remnants of winter have melted away it's time start 2018 for real. We're only four months into the year, but there are already some awesome new gadget trends starting to emerge. Oculus Go ($199) Oculus got off to a bit of a slow start with the Rift virtual reality headset, but it's hoping to make up a whole lot of ground with the all-new Oculus Go, a wireless VR gadget that you can take anywhere. It's an entirely standalone VR experience, meaning no messy wires and you don't need a pricey computer to attach it to, and at $199 it's a whole lot cheaper than most of the other virtual reality headsets out there. Developers have already been ... Read more